Track Leaders' Price Action With IBD Timesaver Table

Scanning stock screens for the next big winners is common practice for investors who consistently outperform the market. They are ready to pounce when the market and leading stocks are exhibiting uptrends.

How can you screen quickly? IBD's Consider the Timesaver Table, found every day in the B section of IBD and eIBD (and today on Page B8), should be part of any serious investor's daily routine.

Timesaver is divided into two sections: Stocks Up and Stocks Down. Stocks in bold have Earnings Per Share and Relative Price Strength ratings of 80 or higher. They've also gone public within the past 15 years.

Boxed stocks in the Up section of the table are the cream of the crop with Composite Ratings of 98 or higher.

When the market's in a confirmed uptrend, the Timesaver Table is a great way to zero on top performers with strong fundamentals showing relative price strength. These two qualities have repeatedly been seen in big market winners before they make big price moves.

The table can be particularly helpful in the early stages of a new uptrend.

Keurig Green Mountain (GMCR) made the screen on March 17, 2009, as it was breaking out of a long consolidation. The breakout past 28.66 (adjusted for a 3-for-2 split) happened a few days after a powerful follow-through day for the S&P 500 on March 12 1.

At the time, Keurig was a top-rated growth name in IBD's database with a Composite Rating of 99. The EPS was 93, the Relative Strength 98. It went on to gain 248% over the next 12 months.

The table also highlights stocks holding up well when institutional selling starts to crop up in the major averages. Any fledgling bull market sees occasional pullbacks along the way where indexes may fall 5% to 10% off their highs. Stocks that hold up the best during these declines are often the early movers when buyers start to come back into the market.

The daily screen's "Stocks Down" column can help you monitor institutional selling in leaders in the later stages of a market uptrend. When this happens, it's often a cue to take profits.

A recent Short Side Column detailed how the Down section can be used to find short ideas. Shorting stocks isn't easy, but it's best done during market downtrends when institutional investors are selling stocks.

Notice: Information contained herein is not and should not be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell securities. The information has been obtained from sources we believe to be reliable; however no guarantee is made or implied with respect to its accuracy, timeliness, or completeness. Authors may own the stocks they discuss. The information and content are subject to change without notice.